Blogs
Peter Oppong’s inspiring journey
Smallholder farmers like Oppong are reaping the benefits of solar-powered irrigation, a cost-effective and easy-to-implement technology.
Press releases
IWMI part of global, five-year program to build sustainable food systems
IWMI will implement the Innovation Lab for Irrigation & Mechanization Systems, funded by USAID and led by University of Nebraska.
Publications
August-September 2023 research journal roundup
IWMI contributions to research in August and September of 2023
In the media
Cocoa farmers in Ghana show strong interest in solar-based irrigation, but pump costs are often too high
IWMI research shows that cocoa farmers in Ghana are interested in solar-powered irrigation pumps but face financial barriers. Policy changes and education are needed.
Press releases
A Circular Bioeconomy Innovation Hub takes form in Ghana
To mitigate the negative effects of urbanization on resource use and environmental pollution, 15 key actors in the waste-sanitation-agriculture interface joined efforts to set up a Circular Bioeconomy Innovation Hub in Ghana.
Blogs
Conference lays out shared vision of strategies and investments needed to catalyze farmer-led irrigation development in Africa
Affordable finance, digital tools and innovation bundles are among the enablers that can help meet Africa’s irrigation potential of 60 million hectares in the next five years.
In the media
Migrating from Droughts: A Pathway for Rural Community Response to Water Scarcity
Water is scarce in most communities in the Upper West Region (UWR) of Ghana, and the scarcity is likely to persist until 2100. Smallholder farming, the main livelihood in the region, is largely rain-fed.
In the media
Graphic Online: Invest in aquatic food system research – Dr. Cofie to govt
The Country Representative of International Water Management Institute (IWMI) in Ghana, Dr. Olufunke Cofie, says investing in effective resilient aquatic food systems, informed by research, can help address Ghana’s nutrition needs.
Features
In focus: Women making a difference in the world of water
As we celebrate International Women’s Day 2022 and pursue "gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow,” find out how three IWMI researchers are translating those words into action.
Features
Social justice starts with water security for all
Social justice and water security are inextricably linked – for either to be achieved, the other must be considered from the very beginning.
Blogs
Putting water at the heart of sustainable development in West Africa
According to the latest report published by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, West Africa could face particularly high water risk. Largely dependent on rain-fed agriculture and already vulnerable to floods and droughts, the region faces declining crop yields by as early as 2050 if the large-scale water cycle changes already observed get any worse.
In the media
Capacity gap causes inadequate incorporation of social transformation analysis in development planning
Talking to Ghana Business News, William Quarmine explored the gaps that prevent further understanding of social transformation.
News
World Toilet Day 2021: An interview with Olufunke Cofie
Leadership and governance systems must provide an enabling environment for the scaling of improved sanitation.
Features
How water can boost environmental health and biodiversity
As a result of IWMI’s work in the realms of e-flow monitoring and aquifer recharge, water management for rivers and aquifers has been strengthened.
In the media
Social Transformation Analyses – A missing piece in the climate action puzzle
In Modern Ghana, Esther Wahabu explains how social inclusion is key in adapting to and mitigating climate change.
Blogs
Water’s Fundamental Truths: Part 3 – Is water governance coming of age?
Our planetary water systems involves not just tackling risks and building resilience for human societies, but also assuming greater responsibility towards the planet as a whole.
Blogs
Water’s role in poverty reduction, livelihoods and jobs
CGIAR’s new ambitions are defined by a set of impact areas, with water – and therefore water systems science – at the heart of each.
In the media
The impact of large and small dams on malaria transmission in four basins in Africa
On VOA, Jonathan Lautze discusses the impact of small and large dams on malaria transmission in four river basins in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Blogs
Can solar pumps unlock Ghana’s irrigation potential?
New IWMI research indicates over 2 million hectares potentially suitable for solar photovoltaic (PV) pumping – and proposes sustainable business models for capturing the solar market opportunity.
Blogs
How market knowledge is powering Africa’s solar irrigation sector
Data-driven tools are helping solar irrigation companies target their products and services to the right people, in the right way.
In the media
Agri Links: Building a Better Solar Irrigation Market in Ghana
The benefits of solar energy for domestic and productive use have long been recognized in countries where there’s low access to the power grid.
Blogs
Water’s role in boosting nutrition, health and food security
Developing business models that governments and the private sector take seriously, so that better use of water can lead to better nutrition, health and food security.
In the media
News Ghana: European Union inaugurates REACH Project Office in Wa
REACH is a project supported by the EU and is being implemented by the German Development Organisation Competitive Cashew Initiative (GIZ/ComCashew) and the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), in close partnership and collaboration with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA).
Blogs
How to take the local, national: planning for good outcomes in Ghana
By prioritizing the perspectives of farmers on the ground, facilitating dialogue and generating data, IWMI is contributing to creating policies which more effectively support rural agricultural communities in Ghana’s Upper West Region.
News
Women in Leadership: behind the scenes
Even in countries where gender norms prevail, women have, and will continue to, forge a path to leadership. With support from organisations like the CGIAR and IWMI, we can continue to equip both men and women with the knowledge and tools to lead.
Blogs
A new tool to help scale water innovations
Making innovative water management and irrigation technologies available to farmers on a massive scale is crucial if we are to meet growing food demands and mitigate climate change impacts.
Blogs
Can you hear me? Covid-19 and building women’s resilience in northern Ghana
Covid-19 has been a major setback — but it could also help encourage new thinking on digital outreach and the necessary soft and hard infrastructure to enable such a transformation.
Blogs
Why the young aspire to leave agriculture behind
Often, migration is an adaptation strategy, and a myriad of factors shape whether a person undertakes a journey to a new city in search of opportunity.
Blogs
After the flush: How a project in Ghana is turning human waste into an economic resource
An IWMI-led project in Ghana aims to address issues with insufficient financing and lack of capacity by capturing value (‘CapVal’) from human waste in ways that support a circular economy.
Blogs
Rural women are reshaping gender norms in northern Ghana
Understanding how climate, migration, gender roles and Covid-19 affect women and their communities can contribute to well-informed policymaking in the Upper West Region.
Blogs
The road to climate resilience
Enabling rural communities to draw up action plans aimed at enhancing resilience to climate-related hazards through sustainable management of natural resources.
In the media
EnviroNewsNigeria.com: Why Ghanaian rural communities seldom take water for granted
Research in Ghana and other countries suggests that “natural” infrastructure, when properly managed, can also help improve the availability of water, while sustaining the livelihoods of the many people who depend on these natural resources.
In the media
AgricInGhana.com: Rural communities in northern Ghana seldom take water for granted
Research in Ghana and other countries suggests that “natural” infrastructure, when properly managed, can also help improve the availability of water.